Why I Love Being a Waterman

[Crabslayer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP-C3Maqtuc&feature=related

[rdbeard]

Sweet and sour, love the theme music and ballad.

[Terrapin T]

Very nice video and song!  Lays it all out there.

I thought we may have found RD until I looked back at the date:

Uploaded by allen3200 on Jan 7, 2009


The so called conservation groups like the cca have made stopping the commercial fishing into a big money making business with the donations from the public that does not know what is really going on and from government grants for their bad data on the fish.We the commercial fishermen are NOT the bad guys we are made out to be. Do not believe all their lies about the commercial fishermen ,it makes me sick to hear what I hear about the fishermen it is really crazy so far from the truth. MY GRANDPA ARNESEN WAS BORN IN TAMPA BAY,FLORIDA IN 1916 AND LAST TIME HE WENT FISHING WITH US WAS AT 90 YEARS OLD HE'S 92 NOW AND HE HAS SEEN IT ALL. THE CHANGE AND DAMAGE FROM THE LAND DEVELOPMENT IN FLORIDA . THEY AS IN THE GOVERNMENT HAS LIMIT THE WAYS TO FISH AND THE AMOUNT AND SPECIES OF FISH SO MUCH THAT IT HAS MADE IT HARDER TO BE A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN FOR NO REASON .READ MY CHANNEL INFO

Last post when I watched the video. .

[fisheyed]

How come the only species that seem to be in peril are those that are netted commercially? When FL banned netting guess what.. more snook, redfish,etc.  In maryland it is an epidemic that can't be stopped.  When they restricted Yellow perch netting guess what.. the came back!! same with summer flounder.  Oh BTW where did the huge weakfish population go?  What happened when they stopped dredging Blue crab?  In every case the waterman said there was not a problem, and guess what, when the restrictions were put in place the species rebounded. 

[genecrabman]

How come the only species that seem to be in peril are those that are netted commercially? When FL banned netting guess what.. more snook, redfish,etc.  In maryland it is an epidemic that can't be stopped.  When they restricted Yellow perch netting guess what.. the came back!! same with summer flounder.  Oh BTW where did the huge weakfish population go?  What happened when they stopped dredging Blue crab?  In every case the waterman said there was not a problem, and guess what, when the restrictions were put in place the species rebounded. 

Never believe everything the State says.Or the Media............

[flounderpounder]

How come the only species that seem to be in peril are those that are netted commercially? When FL banned netting guess what.. more snook, redfish,etc.  In maryland it is an epidemic that can't be stopped.  When they restricted Yellow perch netting guess what.. the came back!! same with summer flounder.  Oh BTW where did the huge weakfish population go?  What happened when they stopped dredging Blue crab?  In every case the waterman said there was not a problem, and guess what, when the restrictions were put in place the species rebounded. 

weakies left when rockfish came back.... cant have em' both...lol  all the stripers my buddy caught in DE last week were filled with trout and small flounder....up to 15 fish in each one...jmo

[fisheyed]

Your right don't believe everything but personal anecdotal evidence also suggests these things.  BTW I do think the rock population was artificially inflated after the moratorium compared to other species and we are now seing a decrease in the rock numbers.  I do not believe the rock ate ALL the little weakfish.  For years you could jig big weekfish in the fall. I think they were netted heavily contributing the their current numbers.  Any response to the Fl pops? I will add another one.  Swordfish.  They stopped longlining the their spawning locations and their numbers are increasing.  Any thoughts on whaling, cod, bluefin tuna, the blue swimming crab in asia.  It is a fact that if not "overcontrolled" as you suggest then overfishing occurs and populations fall.

[rdbeard]

F. eyed to you believe that comm. fishing with nets or any other method of comm. fishing should be banned? If so why didn't the general assembly pass thet law this year?

[fisheyed]

RB I am contending that catch totals need to be more closely monitored.  i.e. rec catch totals are higher than comm.  and many need to be adjusted in my opinion.  The redfish slot limit seems to be a good example of this working.  As far as the netting is concerned what happened off the coast of NC was poor management and use of a net.  Also there seems to be a problem monitoring and controlling illegal activity from poaching in protected areas to netting illegally.  Until we can control this activity and get a more accurate assessment of what we are harvesting then the privilege should be revoked.  Why the legislature did not pass I do not know but I am sure many lobbies are in play and politics in my book does not determine what should be done or what is right or wrong. We need comm fishing to help provide those who can't get on the water with seafood but as in any industry it should be subject to responsible restriction.

[ChrisS]

RB I am contending that catch totals need to be more closely monitored.  i.e. rec catch totals are higher than comm.  and many need to be adjusted in my opinion.  The redfish slot limit seems to be a good example of this working.  As far as the netting is concerned what happened off the coast of NC was poor management and use of a net.  Also there seems to be a problem monitoring and controlling illegal activity from poaching in protected areas to netting illegally.  Until we can control this activity and get a more accurate assessment of what we are harvesting then the privilege should be revoked.  Why the legislature did not pass I do not know but I am sure many lobbies are in play and politics in my book does not determine what should be done or what is right or wrong. We need comm fishing to help provide those who can't get on the water with seafood but as in any industry it should be subject to responsible restriction.

There's a flip side to that coin, thats about all I have to say about that as I don't feel Crabslayers intentions were to stir controversy with this post, merely share what he enjoyed most about what he does. jmo

[fisheyed]

ChrisS I agree sorry for the jack. 

I think we all enjoy the mist coming off the water, the smell of the baskets, the quiet, frozen alewives blocks, etc.  As a mate I always enjoyed the ride out getting the rods ready when everyone else was passed out.  Also don't forget the smell of the first pot of crabs of the year. O

[Seanile]

Great tribute to grandpa.  3rd photo is a great photo of a moonset - timing is everything on a shot like that.

[mdguy25]

I love it

[ACFISHERIES]

How come the only species that seem to be in peril are those that are netted commercially? When FL banned netting guess what.. more snook, redfish,etc.  In maryland it is an epidemic that can't be stopped.  When they restricted Yellow perch netting guess what.. the came back!! same with summer flounder.  Oh BTW where did the huge weakfish population go?  What happened when they stopped dredging Blue crab?  In every case the waterman said there was not a problem, and guess what, when the restrictions were put in place the species rebounded. 

Do you live in Fl., or do you just pollute our state for a couple of weeks each year?

Any time Mary and Johnny had to share 3 apples and then Mary stabbed Johnny and left him laying in the gutter she had more apples.

simple math.

Thank you Crabslayer for sharing!

[reds]

Do you live in Fl., or do you just pollute our state for a couple of weeks each year?

Any time Mary and Johnny had to share 3 apples and then Mary stabbed Johnny and left him laying in the gutter she had more apples.

simple math.

Thank you Crabslayer for sharing!

I've heard a lot of analogies in my time, but that one is so true and to the point, here in Maryland. Thanks

[fisheyed]

Your kidding right? That statement clearly shows the oversimplification and simple mindedness of your argument.  How about any of the other points that were made.  BTW how am I polluting your state? Way to completely ignore pertinent information, make a ridiculous statement and then look for your boy's to back you up. 

[Ronster]

Let's keep it civil.

[coggi]

Do you live in Fl., or do you just pollute our state for a couple of weeks each year?

Two thumbs up! Im definately going to use this.

[ACFISHERIES]

Your kidding right? That statement clearly shows the oversimplification and simple mindedness of your argument.  How about any of the other points that were made.  BTW how am I polluting your state? Way to completely ignore pertinent information, make a ridiculous statement and then look for your boy's to back you up. 

I just like to cut thru the BS.

Can you provide some stats on commercial vs rec take on red drum(pre and post net ban) in Fl.?

How about snook?

Spotted seatrout?

Info is available from FWRI(thats Florida Wildlife Research Institute if ya didn't know).

Careful, I might not be the knuckle dragging neanderthal you assume ...........Then again maybe I am..

Cheers!

[queue3]

I've heard a lot of analogies in my time, but that one is so true and to the point, here in Maryland. Thanks

I think that's an excellent analogy. Here's my take on it from the perspective of the Pamlico Sound and Eastern NC.

"In my youth we had more fish than we do today in our waters [...]"
 
This is part of the signature line from one of our local fishing activists. He and many more like him, is very anti-commercial, anti-net and pro game fish. He blames commercial fishermen for the decline of fish and the difficulty that hobbyists are having in easily filling up their coolers.

And....I totally agree that "In my youth we had more fish than we do today in our waters"  But...I don't agree that the commercial fisherman is to blame.  In my youth (the '50s and '60s) fish were abundant in our rivers, the Sound, and off-shore. You could throw a hook and line in the water just about anywhere and always catch something.  And comm. fishing was one of the biggest industries in ENC.  And there were fish houses everywhere. And there were working fishermen in their boats on the water everywhere.

Now....It's hard to even find a fish house anymore (or anyone who even knows what one is). Fewer and fewer people can now make a living on the water.  Where fish houses once stood there are now condos and water front residences by the thousands. Where there were once fishermen and their work boats, our waterways are now over-crowded with center consoles boats, filled with pastel shirt wearing anglers, each of which needs a minimum of 5 rods apiece. Swamps have been drained, wetlands paved and marinas built on nursery areas. This area has been steadily filling up with refugees from Raleigh and Charlotte and other big cities who are looking for their piece of paradise on the water.

 That's progress. It's inevitable. But how can steadily declining comm. fishermen be responsible for exponentially increasing recreational fisherman not being able to catch fish?

 So you wanna take my apples just so it will seem like you have more apples?

[shrimp pimp]

I had the privalege of fishing with and roadside captain jobs for many of these pastel shirt wearing dock talking, costa wearing gentleman. They all buy the same maps have the same quality numbers and they ride right over the goods. The state sends these same charecters out to view the stocks and evaluate its condition they couldnt catch a cold in flu season. However Its true it aint what it used to be shooting fish in a barrell but its still pretty awesome if you got some skills. Im not saying commercially its as good but weekend warriors could still live the dream if they spent less time at the dock and clothing stores amd a little more time maybe varraying their path to community spots by a degree or two  and learn to read a bottom machine. Not Bitter just saying